Description
This Garlic Bread Focaccia is a soft, flavorful Italian bread infused with garlic butter, fresh herbs, and a crispy golden crust. Perfect as a side dish or appetizer, it features a tender, elastic dough topped with aromatic garlic butter and a sprinkle of salt flakes for extra texture. Easy to prepare with simple ingredients and baked to perfection, this focaccia is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (110°F)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil (plus extra for greasing and topping)
Garlic Butter Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt flakes, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make Dough: Add flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for 8-10 minutes until dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Prepare Pan and Second Rise: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or sheet pan with olive oil. Transfer the risen dough to the pan and press it out evenly. Cover and let it rise again for 20-30 minutes.
- Prepare Garlic Butter: While the dough rises, mix melted butter with minced garlic, chopped parsley, and Italian seasoning to create the garlic butter topping.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) to ensure a hot bake for a crispy crust.
- Top Dough: Use your fingers to dimple the surface of the dough, creating indentations to hold the garlic butter. Drizzle the garlic butter mixture evenly over the top, making sure some seeps into the dimples. Sprinkle with salt flakes if desired.
- Bake: Bake the focaccia for 20–25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crisp.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the focaccia to cool slightly before slicing into 12 pieces. Serve warm as a delicious side or appetizer.
Notes
- Use warm water at about 110°F to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Kneading the dough well is key to developing gluten for a soft yet chewy texture.
- Letting the dough rise twice helps develop flavor and lightness.
- Pressed dimples in the dough help hold the garlic butter and add texture.
- Salt flakes add a delightful crunch and enhance the garlic butter flavor but can be omitted if you prefer less salt.
- For extra garlic flavor, add more minced garlic to the butter mixture according to taste.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container; it’s best eaten within 2 days.
- Reheat briefly in the oven to refresh the crust before serving.
